Punjab Newsline
Restricted over drawl of power from grid becomes cheaper from tomorrow
VINOD KUMAR GUPTA
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
CHANDIGARH: Central Electricity Regulatory commission (CERC) has issued new regulations to rationalize the flow of unplanned power and making cheaper restricted over drawl of power from the grid The commission has directed in the new regulations that the over drawl of power from the schedule by a utility should not exceed 12 per cent of that is schedule drawl.

The new regulations come in force from tomorrow.Alok Kumar Secretary CERC in a press note said that “We wanted to send the message that unscheduled interchange of power in grid is not meant for trading of power. The move would force the distribution utilities to opt for planned procurement of power and thus create an environment for investors to set up new power plants,” Currently, many utilities have postponed setting up power projects and are relying on overdrawing power from the grid to meet the consumers’ demand.

Punjab and Haryana would be benefited more as these states used to overdraw from grid especially during paddy season at Rs. 10 per unit.

The capping of maximum charges for over drawl has been put at Rs. 7.35 paise per unit against earlier

rate of Rs. 10 per unit at lowest level of frequency of 49.22 Hz and free power at 50.30 Hz. Each 0.02 Hz step is equivalent to 12 paise per unit in the range of 50.3-49.5 Hz and it is 17 paise per unit in the frequency range of 49.5 – 40.22Hz.